Freestanding devices have been used for many years to support a human body. For example, the elderly may use canes or walkers to prevent themselves from falling when they move. They do not attach or couple any portion of these devices to their bodies, and furthermore, successful use of these devices depends on the users' abilities. The user must position the cane or walker based on where the user subjectively believes the device will benefit him or her. Further, should the user's strength falter, the device cannot prevent the user from falling. In this manner, these freestanding devices provide limited assistance to their users.
Robotic exoskeleton suits also have been used to supplement healthy or weakened limbs on a human body. When a user wears an exoskeleton, the device often attaches along the entire lengths of the user's limbs, physically abutting the user's entire limbs. Due to this physical coupling, the exoskeleton's positions are constrained entirely by the chosen movements of the user. Further, when the exoskeleton compensates for its weight and the user's weight, the exoskeleton must do so beginning from the joint angles (e.g., knees, ankles) of the user's posture. Undesirably, these requirements cause the exoskeleton to consume a significant amount of power.